Sociology of Awkwardness

Pauwke Berkers is Full Professor of Sociology of Popular Music at Erasmus University Rotterdam. As a music sociologist, he has written widely on social inequalities in popular music in academic journals, such as Gender & Society, Poetics, and Cultural Sociology. His most recent book is Gender Inequality in Metal Music Production (with Julian Schaap, 2018). As a cultural sociologist, his work addresses topics such as authenticity, stigmatization, boundary work and (long silence) awkwardness.Yosha Wijngaarden is Assistant Professor Media and Creative Industries at Erasmus University Rotterdam. Working at the intersection of sociology, media studies, organization studies, and geography, she has written extensively on work practices and (potentially awkward) social interactions within the creative industries. Her work has been published in academic journals such as Geoforum, Human Relations, and Cultural Trends.

• Introduction: Sociology’s awkward silence on awkwardness1. Theorizing awkwardness2. Culture, meaning, and awkwardness3. Interactions, scripts, and awkwardness4. Emotions, feelings, and awkwardness5. Analyzing awkwardness6. Awkward interactions7. Awkward spaces8. Awkward times9. Dealing with awkwardnessConclusion and discussion: That was awkward, folks!